“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power” (Ephesians 6:1).

The verse of the day is the opening to the passage describing the armor of God. The Apostle Paul instructs the church how to fight against the devil.

There is a problem. The problem has to do with how many of us think of victory. Let me explain.

Victory has already been won by Jesus on the cross and the empty tomb. And the fullness of this victory will be manifest when Christ returns.

The problem with how I think about victory is that I think that I should experience this fullness of victory right now. That’s why I get frustrated when I have to confess for the same sins over and over and over and over and over and over.

The reason why this thinking is wrong is because this is a victory that Christ has already won, and a victory that will come to its full manifestation when Christ returns.

In the meantime, in my lifetime and your’s, until Jesus returns again, what victory looks like is never quitting. You see, if you are struggling with sin, that’s great news! That means that the Holy Spirit is working in you. You are supposed to struggle with sin. It would be a travesty if you were okay with the presence of sin in your life. So, in the meantime, until Christ returns, God isn’t disappointed with us because we are struggling and battling sin. God is absolutely delighted that sin makes us uncomfortable.

It’s when we give into sin, it’s when we accept sin, it’s quit fighting and struggling against sin that breaks God’s heart.

So, repeat sinners, hear the good news: you are supposed to be battling and struggling against sin. Keep at it. Never give up. Keep struggling. Keep battling. That is the proof that the Holy Spirit is working in you.

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).

There are few gifts more important and life changing than the gift of faith in Jesus Christ. And the most wonderful thing is that we all have this gift to share! We already possess this gift.

A recent survey asked people how they started attending church. Here are the results.

• 86% – A friend invited me
• 6% – Organized visitation
• 6% – Pastor invite
• 2% – Advertising

A whopping 86% of the people attending church in the United States find a church to call home because a friend invited them to attend.

God’s doing some great things here at the Little Church and Lakewood Grace. I challenge you to invite someone to discover what God is up to. Help folks find their church home at the Little Church and Lakewood Grace.

Finally, look at the verse again. The verse assumes that because we have Jesus living in us that there would be hope and joy oozing out of us that the people around us can’t help but ask us for the reason for the hope that we have. So, the million dollar question is, “Has anyone ever asked you? Has anyone ever asked you to give the reason for the hope that is in you?”

Jesus is our hope. And when you have Jesus others will long for the Jesus who lives in you. 

“The LORD is my Shepherd…” (Psalm 23:1).

The LORD…That’s the right place to start.

The meaning of life does not originate with us, but with the LORD. He is after all the LORD. The LORD is the creator, the originator, and the sustainer of all of creation. Not only is the LORD the right place to start, but remember that he is the LORD. Christians have a tendency to use this title as a name and we forget that every time we call him LORD, it means that he is LORD. If he is the LORD, the Christian is never even wondering about obedience. Obedience is a given. Why? He is LORD!

The LORD…That’s a great place to start.

The LORD is my Shepherd.

The first rule for sheep – YOU ARE NOT THE SHEPHERD!!! I wrote that in all caps because we forget this all the time. Not only do we forget that he is LORD, but we forget that we are not the Shepherd. We are sheep. This means we can only do sheep things and when we try to do something beyond sheep capacity we are miserable, frightened, and disappointed.

You want to be a contented and happy sheep? Remember you are sheep. You are not the Shepherd. We have a Shepherd and he is our LORD. Let the LORD take care of Shepherd things and our job is to follow him and do what he tells us to do. That’s our job. You do that, you’re going to be a contented and blessed sheep.

The LORD is my Shepherd…I love that!